Mitosis is the biological process in which new cells are formed from existing cells. During mitosis, the chromosomes in a cell's nucleus are separated into two identical sets. After the identical sets of chromosomes are formed, the cell undergoes a process called cytokinesis in which the cell's nucleus, cytoplasm, organelles and cell membrane divide to form two daughter cells.
The cell cycle is a series of stages that a cell passes through in leading up to replicating itself. Together, mitosis and cytokinesis define the mitotic phase. The mitotic phase may be further broken down into several different stages, namely, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis. During prophase, the duplicated chromosomes condense and become visible under a microscope. During metaphase the chromosomes align in the center of the cell before being separated into two cells. During anaphase, the duplicated chromosomes separate into two sets. During telophase, nuclei form around the separated chromosomes. In order to complete mitosis an intricate network of signaling pathways that orchestrates the mitotic physical and biochemical processes converge. Accurate coordination of all these pathways is vital for the execution of mitosis and proper distribution of the genetic material into the two new daughter cells.
Phosphorylation, a process in which a phosphate group is added to a protein or other organic molecule, acts as an on/off switch for many biological functions and is responsible for inactivating many transcription factors. Research has shown that certain zinc finger peptides (ZFPs) are phosphorylated at their linker peptides, causing them to lose DNA binding activity in mitotic cells. The present inventors realized that phosphorylation of the ZFP linker peptides could be a common pathway for inactivation of all C2H2 ZFPs during mitosis. Accordingly, the present inventors have developed a way to target these linker peptides by using an antibody that binds to the phosphorylated forms of the linker peptides.